Unlikely Pack
by Moonlup
Summary: Originally an OOM for Capt. Ryan at Milliways Bar on . Quick summary: Ryan's received a dog as a gift from a pack member and, as a good alpha, doesn't refuse the creature. This is their first hunt.


This is so cool. Captain says he's actually going to take me hunting! I've been in the woods almost every day so it's pretty easy to stick near him, giddily running around his feet. He pretty much ignores me and I'm quick enough to not get kicked accidentally. He smells amused.

Then we reach a new section of the woods. He's never brought me here before and its really deep. We see some of the rabbits jumping around and I growl and he tells me to calm down. He sits down in his den tree house thingie, legs hanging off the edge, and I jump in after him. It's really big to fit just him. I snuffle through the blankets that are inside. Everything smells like him and a few things smell faintly like Suzi.

_Suzi's been here?_

No. She just got the blankets for me.

I jump down from the den and start sniffing things in the woods. I want to be able to find my way back here when we leave. Captain starts taking off clothes, setting them carefully off to the side. He has to get out to take off his trousers.

_Come here._

Obediently, I stop sniffing the pile of bones and trot back over. He pats the floor of the den, and I jump up and sit, watching him eagerly.

_Are we hunting now?_

_In a moment._ He still smells amused. _Do you remember what I told you?_

_If I think you're going to eat me I should run for the bar_ I recite in almost a singsong. As if Captain would ever eat me.

He gives an affirmative grunt. _Now stay there. This will only take a moment._

What will I want to ask but Captain groans and doubles over. Oh, he's changing! I prick my ears forward and watch and wow it really is fast. And he's so very big now and has proper ears and about as much fur as I do and wow.

_Sir?_

His head turns towards me, ears pricked forward and mouth shut. I pin my ears back and roll over, head hanging off the platform a bit. Captain only has to duck a little bit to fit his head in the den and I feel his breath on my neck. I hold really, really still and a little whine escapes from me. Then his nose is in my ear, breath tickling.

_Sir!_ I laugh, flipping over and trying to get away, but Captain still has hands and catches me easily. He licks at my head and when I try to get away again, he digs his claws in a bit. I stop struggling and drop my head to the floor with a sigh. Captain laughs a little and finally lets me up. I jump out of the den and shake myself off and Captain stands up all the way and stretches. He sniffs at the wind and I sniff too, but I don't know what I'm looking for. Then he throws his head back and howls and its something else I've never done with him. I try to join in, but I'm a little warbley and Captain's laughing again by the time we stop.

_Are we hunting now?_

I am. You don't know how.

I whine in protest and Captain huffs at me. _But you said I could come!_

You can watch and learn, but you're too small to help.

I whine a little anyway, but Captain's running and I need all my breath to keep up. He stops just as suddenly, ears pricked forward, mouth closed.

_What is it?_ I pant.

_Quiet. Watch._ Captain creeps forward slowly and I sniff the air. Oh, petrol, yuck. Are we really going to eat a rabbit? But I'm quiet and I watch. The rabbit doesn't seem to know we're here and Captain's so silent when he moves that it just keeps browsing in what little grass there is. Then it freezes and Captain freezes and I freeze and we all just wait to see who will make the first move.

I break first, dashing forward and barking like a mad thing and the rabbit hisses and bolts and something hits me in the back of the head and sends me sprawling.

_Moron._ Captain's growling. I roll on to my back as soon as I can tell which way is up.

_Sorrysorrysorrysorrysorry!_ His teeth are vibrating at my throat, but he pulls back again with a huff.

_Maybe you're too young for this._

No! I can listen! I can be quiet! I promise! Captain looks at me and I drop my gaze and look away.

_Not another sound until I say so, understood?_ I shake my tail yes and then we're moving again, Captain following some scent I don't know how to recognize. Then he stops and I stop and peer out between his legs at the deer until he crouches low. _Not a sound,_ he warns me, showing teeth, _and __**stay here.**_ One hand reaches out to press me into the dirt and once he's certain I'm not getting up, he creeps forward silently. I don't even lift my head from the ground, but my ears are pricked forward and I'm watching with wide eyes. He's so close now the deer has to know he's there, how can it not?

It freezes, head still down and Captain freezes three strides away from it and my head comes up and I _almost_ bark but don't. The deer's head comes up the same moment Captain leaps forward and I'm quivering to stay still as Captain catches it with one clawed hand hooked into its flank. It tries to kick at him and he jerks back his claws coming free and leaving a huge bloody hole behind. The deer takes off and Captain licks his claws clean as I stand and trot over to him.

_It got away,_ I grumble. I'm starting to get hungry.

_No, it didn't. What do you smell?_

I sniff. _Blood?_

Good. We're going to follow that. Come along.

It takes a long time to catch up to the deer, but when we do, it's too tired and lost too much blood to run anymore. It just watches Captain as he walks up to it and I watch as he kills it. It's quick, and he's eating in the next moment. I walk up to eat myself, but Captain growls at me to stay back. Confused, I back off but I'm too hungry to stay away for long. I pin my ears back and drop to the ground, crawling towards the hole in its flank. Captain eyes me but I'm careful not to look back and he lets me in to eat. I'm full long before he is, though, and I lay down nearby and doze while he finishes eating.

I wake up to his tongue licking me clean again. _Come on, time to go home._ Captain has what little's left of the deer in one hand and is steadying his crouch with the other.

_'kay._ I stretch and get to my feet, following him back to the den. I'm asleep on my paws by the time we get back. Captain drops the deer on the pile of bones and climbs into the den, curling up on the blankets. I lay down on the ground, already falling asleep.

_What are you doing?_

Going to sleep, sir.

He tilts his head at me and I can smell his amusement again. _You can come in here._

I'm too tired to even be excited about this. I crawl in next to him and he curls up around me and we sleep. I only wake up when morning comes and he changes back around me, but Captain just wakes up enough to pull the blankets over both of us.


End file.
